Ch. 1 - 5
Chapter one and two recount book two. Chapters three through five continue the argument of how the pagan gods are false, adding their capricious infliction of punishment for indiscretions. Augustine also presents the god engendered hero as a publicity act to better a town, city or nation's image.
Ch. 6 - 10
This is a slow and tiresom reading. All that Augustine appears to be saying is how false the pagan gods are.
Ch. 11 - 15
Augustine's exposition on the false nature of the pagan gods wavers to a discussion of Roman amorality going back to the founding of the city. He upholds the patricides and fratricides of the early kings, including Romulus. He also states that the deification of Romulus was to cover up not only his indescretions but also the murder of Romulus by the Senate.
Ch. 16 - 20
In these chapters, Augustine relates the damage done by the internicene struggles of the Counsels. He also shows how Rome's allys faired during various wars. Augustine shows not only the general state of disreputable dealings within Rome but also how Rome's amoral internal politics created breakdowns in foregin affairs. Augustine also presents these problems as proof to the non-existance or malevolence of the Roman gods. He takes a brief glance at the fall of Troy, the theoretical ancestory city of Rome, to show the same malevolence is a standing issue.
Augustine's argument appears to be that these gods are failing their worshippers by their apparent refusal to inerviene in the various problems or to punish the parties responcible for the transgressions theat lead to the problems. Much of Augustine's discription make me think of the current state of affairs in the politics of the United States. While we're not so corrupt as to have our political opponent executed or exiled, it is almost a duplicate of the social ailments of the Roman empire. A rather concept when one takes a hard look at it.
Ch. 21 - 25
In these chapters, Augustine continues his catalog of Roman impropriety and the mifortune that followed. Augustine also notes the apparent incongruity between professing homage to the goddess Concordia while embracing discord as their way of life.
Ch. 26 - 30
Slave's war = uprising lead by the Gladiators?
Augustine describes the various civil wars. He even compares the barbarian warfare to the Romans. The barbarians came out looking better.
Ch. 31
Augustine declares teh people who blame Christians for the past misery to be fools. He also suggests that the misfortunes are perhaps God's punishment to them.
Originally published: 8/24/06
Saturday, October 6, 2018
Book Review: The City of God - Book 2
Ch. 1
Augustine seems to refuse to make the text simpler then it is due to the fact that this is as simple as he can make it.
Ch. 2
A reiteration/summary of Book 1.
Ch. 3
Augustine argues that the suffering of the Roman pagans are due to idolitry, not the presence of Christians.
Ch. 4
Augustine hilights the flaws of the pagans where not amended by their false gods. He argues the Romans were decieved by spirits of evil to believe those devils were gods.
Ch. 5
Augustine argues the virtious of the pagans would not want to riblad and/or obscene behaviours used in obesayance to the pagan gods to be used to honor their own mothers. Augustines ays the rites of the mother of the pagan gods are a good example of this. He proceeds to show how this goddess abased good men and her sacrifices were such to offend good men in any other setting.
Ch. 6
Augustine argues the capricious nature of the pagan gods is a proof of their disregard of their worshippers.
Ch. 7
the vices of the pagan gods are a stronger example of the society's accepcted behavior rather then the wisdom of philosophers. The works of the philosophers lack the "divine" authority of the examples given and Christ's teachings. Augustines notes many pagans use the examples of the pagan gods as an excuse for their misbehaviors.
Ch. 8
In this as well as many other chapter I've read thus far, Augustine argues how the practices of the sacred and the secular plays were hot beds of impropriety. Augustine notes particularly in this chapter that the celebration of the flaws of the pagan gods were a source of approval. Augustine says that if these gods were examples of proper behavior, they'd have been offended by the improprieties and culumnities associated with themselves. He then says that these gods obviously are not offended because they hadn't punished their followers.
Ch. 9
Augustine notes the Greeks allowed the comedians to mock any and everybody. The Romans didn't allow such a liberal toung, placing prohibitions on slander. Augustine seems to be presenting this as a double standard.
Ch. 10 - 15
This is a continuation of an argument against the glorification of unwholesome deeds. Augustine appears to also be saying that the actors and comedians who were the driving force of the plays (sacred and secular) are people of questionable character. The Greeks assumed that because the Gods required the acts for the sake of respectable worship, then the parties associated with them are respectable individuals. The romans acknowledged the apparent necessity of the actions, they found the actions objectionable and the parties associated.
Augustine then proceeds to state that if the actions are to be objected to, then the Gods requiring them must be as well. He argues these objectionable gods are false. Proceeding to state that some are mearly glorification of vanity, elevating men to the status of gods complete with the flaws.
Ch. 16 - 20
The earlier discussion leads into a recounting of the ignoble history of Rome, in brief. Augustine states this proves that the tempestious problems of Rome are rooted in their own actions and are a long standing problem from before even teh conception of Christ. This is a rebuttal to what apparently is a common proverb of the time: "It won't rain because of the Christian."
Augustine states in the midst of recounting this history that an acclaimed historian stated that Romans were honest and virtuous by naturea s well as habit. He proceeds to show the "virtue" of the Romans throught this recounted history. Augustine sets this in relation to the example of their Gods and demi-gods. He says the laws of Rome and the expectations for virtue are not a result of good guidance from the gods. if they were, then they'd be good gods giving good examples and honored by honorable conduct. He upholds Christ's example and the expectation for worship and behavior by God's followers. Augustine then says the foolish will remain foolish and cling to their ways. He expresses contempt for them and their ways.
Ch. 21 - 25
It is possible to say that Augustine's argument is that the Roman Gods permitted, assisted and encouraged the impropriety of various individuals.
Ch. 26 - 29
Augustine exhorts the Romans to reject impropriety, extravagance and avariceness. He also calls them to reject paganism, saying it is a doorway of evil. Augustine notes a trend of keeping wholesome and good things as secrets and hidden. He suggests some sense of shame for good things. Augustine notes a welath of headonism and ribaldry, even a public celebration of the amoral. Augustine seems to point at paganism as the root of this behavior.
Summary:
Book one is a discussion of Rome's fall from an apologistic Christan standpoint. It also is a discussion of war and it's effects. Book two argues the fall of Rome was due to amoral behavior and life style. Augustine places the blame on Roman paganism, stating that the Roman gods are not truly gods but devils. Augustine's logic is that gods provide good examples for their people to provide for their well being and attend to their people during times of need.
Originally published: 8/24/06
Augustine seems to refuse to make the text simpler then it is due to the fact that this is as simple as he can make it.
Ch. 2
A reiteration/summary of Book 1.
Ch. 3
Augustine argues that the suffering of the Roman pagans are due to idolitry, not the presence of Christians.
Ch. 4
Augustine hilights the flaws of the pagans where not amended by their false gods. He argues the Romans were decieved by spirits of evil to believe those devils were gods.
Ch. 5
Augustine argues the virtious of the pagans would not want to riblad and/or obscene behaviours used in obesayance to the pagan gods to be used to honor their own mothers. Augustines ays the rites of the mother of the pagan gods are a good example of this. He proceeds to show how this goddess abased good men and her sacrifices were such to offend good men in any other setting.
Ch. 6
Augustine argues the capricious nature of the pagan gods is a proof of their disregard of their worshippers.
Ch. 7
the vices of the pagan gods are a stronger example of the society's accepcted behavior rather then the wisdom of philosophers. The works of the philosophers lack the "divine" authority of the examples given and Christ's teachings. Augustines notes many pagans use the examples of the pagan gods as an excuse for their misbehaviors.
Ch. 8
In this as well as many other chapter I've read thus far, Augustine argues how the practices of the sacred and the secular plays were hot beds of impropriety. Augustine notes particularly in this chapter that the celebration of the flaws of the pagan gods were a source of approval. Augustine says that if these gods were examples of proper behavior, they'd have been offended by the improprieties and culumnities associated with themselves. He then says that these gods obviously are not offended because they hadn't punished their followers.
Ch. 9
Augustine notes the Greeks allowed the comedians to mock any and everybody. The Romans didn't allow such a liberal toung, placing prohibitions on slander. Augustine seems to be presenting this as a double standard.
Ch. 10 - 15
This is a continuation of an argument against the glorification of unwholesome deeds. Augustine appears to also be saying that the actors and comedians who were the driving force of the plays (sacred and secular) are people of questionable character. The Greeks assumed that because the Gods required the acts for the sake of respectable worship, then the parties associated with them are respectable individuals. The romans acknowledged the apparent necessity of the actions, they found the actions objectionable and the parties associated.
Augustine then proceeds to state that if the actions are to be objected to, then the Gods requiring them must be as well. He argues these objectionable gods are false. Proceeding to state that some are mearly glorification of vanity, elevating men to the status of gods complete with the flaws.
Ch. 16 - 20
The earlier discussion leads into a recounting of the ignoble history of Rome, in brief. Augustine states this proves that the tempestious problems of Rome are rooted in their own actions and are a long standing problem from before even teh conception of Christ. This is a rebuttal to what apparently is a common proverb of the time: "It won't rain because of the Christian."
Augustine states in the midst of recounting this history that an acclaimed historian stated that Romans were honest and virtuous by naturea s well as habit. He proceeds to show the "virtue" of the Romans throught this recounted history. Augustine sets this in relation to the example of their Gods and demi-gods. He says the laws of Rome and the expectations for virtue are not a result of good guidance from the gods. if they were, then they'd be good gods giving good examples and honored by honorable conduct. He upholds Christ's example and the expectation for worship and behavior by God's followers. Augustine then says the foolish will remain foolish and cling to their ways. He expresses contempt for them and their ways.
Ch. 21 - 25
It is possible to say that Augustine's argument is that the Roman Gods permitted, assisted and encouraged the impropriety of various individuals.
Ch. 26 - 29
Augustine exhorts the Romans to reject impropriety, extravagance and avariceness. He also calls them to reject paganism, saying it is a doorway of evil. Augustine notes a trend of keeping wholesome and good things as secrets and hidden. He suggests some sense of shame for good things. Augustine notes a welath of headonism and ribaldry, even a public celebration of the amoral. Augustine seems to point at paganism as the root of this behavior.
Summary:
Book one is a discussion of Rome's fall from an apologistic Christan standpoint. It also is a discussion of war and it's effects. Book two argues the fall of Rome was due to amoral behavior and life style. Augustine places the blame on Roman paganism, stating that the Roman gods are not truly gods but devils. Augustine's logic is that gods provide good examples for their people to provide for their well being and attend to their people during times of need.
Originally published: 8/24/06
Book Review: The City of God, Vol. 1
Title: The City of God Volume: 1
Author: St. Augustine of Hippo Translator: John Healy
Publisher: Edinburg John Grant Date: 1909
A note on the face pages state the title in Latin: De Vivitate Dei. It also says that the text was first published in 1610. The introduction explains the situation preceeding the sack of Rome by the Goths. Augustine wrote the City of God as a lament of the fall of Rome and an argument against paganism.
Book 1 Ch 1
Augustine argues the sparing of lives at the fall of Rome was due to the will of Christ. Noting the Gods, who practiced a bastardized version of Christianity, spared the refugees in Churches and cloisters. Augustine rebukes the hypocrites who claimed to be Christian in order to be spared.
Ch 2
Augustine declares that before this point, none was spared for the sake of the gods worshipped. Troy's seige is his example.
Ch 3 - 5
Augustine hilights how the Temple of Juno was a prision by the Greeks for the Trojans and something of a slaughterhouse. He then continues to show how the Romans gave an equal amount of respect to the faiths of those they conquered and made killing grounds of sacred places. This is contrasted with the apparent mercy of the Goths towards the Christians, at large. Augustine also describes how the callousness of the conqueres towards the beliefs of the conquered was the nature of warfare.
Ch 6
This is a continuation and expansion of the point that warfare has ugly consquences. Augustine proceeds to note instances where the horrid effects are mitigated or all together avoided are instances of Divine mercy.
Ch 7 & 8
These two chapters discuss the concept of suffering in our current lives as the effects of evil/wickeness on our own part. Augustine appears to argue that for the wicked such misery is a foretaste of hell and serves as punishment and a call for repentance. To the good, it is a thing of God's will to be endured; looking for potential lessons from God in the midery and a place where one may serve Christ through their own suffering.
Ch 9
Augustine reiterates the leson that one must not place too much emphasis on temporal goods. He uses the example of the Saints and what they lost vs. the spiritual goods they retained.
Ch. 10
Augustine discusses death. He argues death is a natural part of life. The true horror should be reserved for the damnation of the evil.
Ch. 11
Augustine states that burial is not a necessary condition for ressurection. He even says that dismemberment doesn't preclude one from it.
Ch. 12
Augustine states burial is good for it is a final act of honor and respect to the dead in this life. It is a rite more for the bereved, for the dead are no longer concerned with the body.
Ch. 13
In captivity, the saints are comforted by God.
Ch. 14
Augustine held up Marcus Regulus as an example of one who willingly suffered captivity to uphold is faith. Marcus Regalus's murder at the hands of his captors is an argument of the failure of the pagan gods to preserve one that served faithfully.
Ch. 15- 19
These chapters discuss rape, chastity and suicide. Rape and other forms of violation are not things that make one unchaste. Augustine argues that chasity is a quality of the mind/soul and acts perpetuated against one's body can not violate it. The responses of the body, it can be argued, are no less at fault eaitehr becuase we are built to respond to certian stimuli in certian ways.
Augustine presents a clear argument against suicide as a method of preserving one's soul from violation. He argues that murder is a graver offense then adultery. He clearly states that suicide is the murder of oneself. From this stance, one can say murder and suicide are mortal sins and adultery is a venial sin. On the saints who comitted suicide, Augustine is heistant to make a judgement. He says only that these saints must have been acting in accordance with a direction from God to do so.
Ch. 20
Augustine clarifies what is murder and what is not. He says that slaying comitted under color of law for the sake fo justice or safety are excuseable. Also, those prompted by the will of God.
Ch. 21 - 25
These are a continuation of the discussion of suicide. Interspersed are admonishments to hypocrites and an apology for the behavior of saints.
Originally Published: 8/23/06
Author: St. Augustine of Hippo Translator: John Healy
Publisher: Edinburg John Grant Date: 1909
A note on the face pages state the title in Latin: De Vivitate Dei. It also says that the text was first published in 1610. The introduction explains the situation preceeding the sack of Rome by the Goths. Augustine wrote the City of God as a lament of the fall of Rome and an argument against paganism.
Book 1 Ch 1
Augustine argues the sparing of lives at the fall of Rome was due to the will of Christ. Noting the Gods, who practiced a bastardized version of Christianity, spared the refugees in Churches and cloisters. Augustine rebukes the hypocrites who claimed to be Christian in order to be spared.
Ch 2
Augustine declares that before this point, none was spared for the sake of the gods worshipped. Troy's seige is his example.
Ch 3 - 5
Augustine hilights how the Temple of Juno was a prision by the Greeks for the Trojans and something of a slaughterhouse. He then continues to show how the Romans gave an equal amount of respect to the faiths of those they conquered and made killing grounds of sacred places. This is contrasted with the apparent mercy of the Goths towards the Christians, at large. Augustine also describes how the callousness of the conqueres towards the beliefs of the conquered was the nature of warfare.
Ch 6
This is a continuation and expansion of the point that warfare has ugly consquences. Augustine proceeds to note instances where the horrid effects are mitigated or all together avoided are instances of Divine mercy.
Ch 7 & 8
These two chapters discuss the concept of suffering in our current lives as the effects of evil/wickeness on our own part. Augustine appears to argue that for the wicked such misery is a foretaste of hell and serves as punishment and a call for repentance. To the good, it is a thing of God's will to be endured; looking for potential lessons from God in the midery and a place where one may serve Christ through their own suffering.
Ch 9
Augustine reiterates the leson that one must not place too much emphasis on temporal goods. He uses the example of the Saints and what they lost vs. the spiritual goods they retained.
Ch. 10
Augustine discusses death. He argues death is a natural part of life. The true horror should be reserved for the damnation of the evil.
Ch. 11
Augustine states that burial is not a necessary condition for ressurection. He even says that dismemberment doesn't preclude one from it.
Ch. 12
Augustine states burial is good for it is a final act of honor and respect to the dead in this life. It is a rite more for the bereved, for the dead are no longer concerned with the body.
Ch. 13
In captivity, the saints are comforted by God.
Ch. 14
Augustine held up Marcus Regulus as an example of one who willingly suffered captivity to uphold is faith. Marcus Regalus's murder at the hands of his captors is an argument of the failure of the pagan gods to preserve one that served faithfully.
Ch. 15- 19
These chapters discuss rape, chastity and suicide. Rape and other forms of violation are not things that make one unchaste. Augustine argues that chasity is a quality of the mind/soul and acts perpetuated against one's body can not violate it. The responses of the body, it can be argued, are no less at fault eaitehr becuase we are built to respond to certian stimuli in certian ways.
Augustine presents a clear argument against suicide as a method of preserving one's soul from violation. He argues that murder is a graver offense then adultery. He clearly states that suicide is the murder of oneself. From this stance, one can say murder and suicide are mortal sins and adultery is a venial sin. On the saints who comitted suicide, Augustine is heistant to make a judgement. He says only that these saints must have been acting in accordance with a direction from God to do so.
Ch. 20
Augustine clarifies what is murder and what is not. He says that slaying comitted under color of law for the sake fo justice or safety are excuseable. Also, those prompted by the will of God.
Ch. 21 - 25
These are a continuation of the discussion of suicide. Interspersed are admonishments to hypocrites and an apology for the behavior of saints.
Originally Published: 8/23/06
Book Review: The Catechism of the Catholic Church
I did not take my notes on the reading I did. I simply read the text cover to cover. I learned alot. In the Catholic Church, there are seven sacrements. The primary ones are baptisim, confirmation and the Eucharist. There is also the holy orders of priesthood and the religious life, such as teh deaconate and belonging to various ones like the Sisters of Mercy. Marriage is a vocational sacrement, a fact that I had forgotten after reading the text. For some reasons, I thought that it was called something different.
Prayer is given a central focus. It is explained as an act of will directed/prompted and supported by divine grace. This definition makes a great deal of sense, but it seems to be too simplistic. Prayer is so much more then that. But I am a mystic at heart, so I suppose that I am predisposted towards viewing prayer as something larger. The mysteries of Jesus's life is central to the Catholic faith. A rather obvious thing, for with out this the religion would not be Christian. This is supported by the Hebraic religion, as interpreted by the Greek translation of the Torah.
There is an interesting dichotomy in various parts of the Catechisim. At oine point it is clearly stated that God reveals to people how God wants people to relate to him. In a following statement, the religions of the world that are not Christianity are idolitry and superstition. Much like a later portion of the text and is stated that the morally upright non-believers is generally assured the good standing with God as a believer. This is followed by an argument that Baptisim is a necessity for a positive relationship.
This type of confusion indicates that the Church is in a state of flux, if not division, over the multi-culturalisim of the world and interfaith relations. This also leads one to recognize that the Catechism is the fruit of a comittee effort. It begs the question that with these divisions in the Church, how can it managed to have lasted for so long? For these divisions are a long standing issue, it is even ackonowledged to an extent in the portion of the text that discusses the relationship between the Church and other branches of Christianity, as well as the matter of heresy.
This is where you can truly say that the Church fathers posessed wisdom. They instituted within the Church a concept that the Church is not bound by region or language. This allowed for the Mass and many other elements of the life of the Church to be flexible to the needs of the people and the times.
[Edited to add: Yes, I did read the whole thing cover to cover. It took me a while, and it was rather.. mind numbing at parts. However, it was a very educational experience.]
Originally published 8/23/06
Prayer is given a central focus. It is explained as an act of will directed/prompted and supported by divine grace. This definition makes a great deal of sense, but it seems to be too simplistic. Prayer is so much more then that. But I am a mystic at heart, so I suppose that I am predisposted towards viewing prayer as something larger. The mysteries of Jesus's life is central to the Catholic faith. A rather obvious thing, for with out this the religion would not be Christian. This is supported by the Hebraic religion, as interpreted by the Greek translation of the Torah.
There is an interesting dichotomy in various parts of the Catechisim. At oine point it is clearly stated that God reveals to people how God wants people to relate to him. In a following statement, the religions of the world that are not Christianity are idolitry and superstition. Much like a later portion of the text and is stated that the morally upright non-believers is generally assured the good standing with God as a believer. This is followed by an argument that Baptisim is a necessity for a positive relationship.
This type of confusion indicates that the Church is in a state of flux, if not division, over the multi-culturalisim of the world and interfaith relations. This also leads one to recognize that the Catechism is the fruit of a comittee effort. It begs the question that with these divisions in the Church, how can it managed to have lasted for so long? For these divisions are a long standing issue, it is even ackonowledged to an extent in the portion of the text that discusses the relationship between the Church and other branches of Christianity, as well as the matter of heresy.
This is where you can truly say that the Church fathers posessed wisdom. They instituted within the Church a concept that the Church is not bound by region or language. This allowed for the Mass and many other elements of the life of the Church to be flexible to the needs of the people and the times.
[Edited to add: Yes, I did read the whole thing cover to cover. It took me a while, and it was rather.. mind numbing at parts. However, it was a very educational experience.]
Originally published 8/23/06
Friday, October 5, 2018
Recommendation: Composition Notebooks
Dear Reader,
I'm going back to basics on this post. Composition notebooks, those ones you can get for somewhere around $0.50 during back to school sales and a dollar the rest of the year, are what I'm recommending today. They come in a variety of sizes. I confess, I have a fondness for the standard sized, college ruled ones. The faux marble cover is no longer industry standard, so you can find them with a wide range of aesthetically pleasing qualities. I like composition notebooks for more reasons than nostalgia for my time of academic pursuits.
The best composition notebooks have sewn bindings. The really cheap ones have a single signature but the stitching on those suckers are so hefty that they have stood up to literally decades of use in my experience. The ones that are a bit more expensive have multiple signatures and I'm sure would last even longer. I haven't really gotten into the notebooks with the perforated pages, but I am the same philistine that would rip out a page of a notebook to write down a phone number or a recipe to stick into another notebook that was across the room. My treatment of my notebooks is rather harsh but the composition notebooks have always stood up to the test of time and treatment.
I'm going back to basics on this post. Composition notebooks, those ones you can get for somewhere around $0.50 during back to school sales and a dollar the rest of the year, are what I'm recommending today. They come in a variety of sizes. I confess, I have a fondness for the standard sized, college ruled ones. The faux marble cover is no longer industry standard, so you can find them with a wide range of aesthetically pleasing qualities. I like composition notebooks for more reasons than nostalgia for my time of academic pursuits.
The best composition notebooks have sewn bindings. The really cheap ones have a single signature but the stitching on those suckers are so hefty that they have stood up to literally decades of use in my experience. The ones that are a bit more expensive have multiple signatures and I'm sure would last even longer. I haven't really gotten into the notebooks with the perforated pages, but I am the same philistine that would rip out a page of a notebook to write down a phone number or a recipe to stick into another notebook that was across the room. My treatment of my notebooks is rather harsh but the composition notebooks have always stood up to the test of time and treatment.
Thursday, October 4, 2018
The Deamon's Kiss (pt 1) (NSFW)
This is erotic horror. The content is not safe for work. Read at your discretion.
Wednesday, October 3, 2018
Temporary change in posting schedule!
Dear Reader,
I'm taking a moment to change my posting schedule for the month of October. Because October is considered the month most associated with horror, I have moved my book status updates to Wednesdays to post a serial story on Thursdays. Unlike Dacia's War or the Iron Lily, this is a completed serial story in four posts.
This serial story is about a supernatural sexual assault. I would like to make a few things clear here before the posts go live.
I'm taking a moment to change my posting schedule for the month of October. Because October is considered the month most associated with horror, I have moved my book status updates to Wednesdays to post a serial story on Thursdays. Unlike Dacia's War or the Iron Lily, this is a completed serial story in four posts.
This serial story is about a supernatural sexual assault. I would like to make a few things clear here before the posts go live.
- I do not condone sexual assault.
- I do not condone using sexual assault as a plot device.
- This was written as an effort to process my own traumatic experiences.
- This short serial story features characters that are part of the major story arc for the entire book series. Astrid the Maid, Maigren, and Byroniac are all major players in various books.
Most importantly, if you are a person recovering from or having survived sexual assault, I very strongly advise you skip this horror series. Writing it, I triggered my own C-PTSD a few times. I still think, however, it is a well developed story and in keeping with the universe of the storylines I've been writing. I also think it gives you a glimpse into why the deamons really are the bad guys.
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